Austin Reaves’ career season will ultimately go unrewarded.
As a result of his calf strain, which has had him out since Christmas Day and cost him three games before that, Reaves can now not meet the 65-game minimum, making him ineligible for any awards or All-NBA consideration.
The NBA’s 65-game minimum for award eligibility is certainly a controversial rule. It also means that Reaves, who certainly was playing at an All-NBA level before this calf injury, is going to see his strong start to the year go completely for naught.
So far this year, Reaves is averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Impressively, he’s doing it on improved efficiency, too, as he’s shooting 50.7% from the field. While his 36.5% shooting from range is just below his career number, his effective field goal percentage is 59%, the second-best mark of his career.
As for the NBA’s rule, it has come under greater scrutiny this season than ever before. Injuries to Nikola Jokic and LeBron James mean both are unlikely to be eligible for awards.
It won’t be something changed midseason, but don’t be surprised if it’s something that is addressed in the offseason.
The good news is that head coach JJ Redick said the expectation is for Reaves to return during this upcoming road trip. However, it’ll still be a bit too little, too late when it comes to awards.
The Colorado Avalanche have steamrolled teams at home this season, winning 20 of 24 games while averaging more than 4.5 goals per game.
My Ducks vs. Avalanche predictions see Colorado’s home success carrying forward tonight.
Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Wednesday, January 21.
Ducks vs Avalanche prediction
Ducks vs Avalanche best bet: Avalanche -1.5 (-120)
The Colorado Avalanche are the most dominant team we’ve seen in years, especially in their own building. They routinely overwhelm opponents with speed, skill, and a seemingly never-ending supply of goals.
They are 16-1-1 over their past 18 games in Colorado. Of those 16 wins, 14 came by at least two goals. Nearly 88% of their home victories over the past couple of months have come with room to spare.
Colorado hosted the Anaheim Ducks during that span and bested them 4-1. That came back in November when the Ducks were otherwise humming and looked like one of the league’s best teams.
They have since fallen off, particularly defensively. The Ducks rank 21st in shots allowed, 22nd in penalty killing percentage, and 31st in goals against. Defending has been a challenge, and their goaltenders have struggled as a result.
Anaheim is also dealing with injuries to key players. Troy Terry is banged up, and Leo Carlsson is out for the foreseeable future with a lower-body injury.
That’ll make it even more difficult to keep up with a team that has averaged 4.75 goals over its last 20 at home.
Ducks vs Avalanche same-game parlay
Sam Malinski continues to pile up the shots without Devon Toews in the lineup. He has attempted a whopping 42 shots over the past six games, clearing in five. That includes four straight hits while logging more than 20 minutes in each.
Rookie Beckett Sennecke is taking on a larger role with a couple of Anaheim’s best weapons injured. He has generated 16 shots on goal over the last three, and his average attempt output over the past 10 games (6.5) is miles above his season rate (4.2).
The Colorado Avalanche have covered the Puck Line in 15 of their last 20 games at home (+10.85 Units / 47% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Ducks vs. Avalanche.
How to watch Ducks vs Avalanche
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Puck drop
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
Victory+, ALT
Ducks vs Avalanche latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 17: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
Nothing doing. The Brooklyn Nets returned home to face a revitalized Phoenix Suns team on Monday night. Brooklyn battled, but the Suns were too much to handle. The L was their second in a row and dropped the Nets to 2-9 in January.
The opponent tonight… boy I don’t know. The New York Knicks walked in to this season with championship expectations and an Eastern Conference that was theirs for the taking. After winning the NBA Cup, it looked like they were on the road to a top seed and a run of good feelings. And then … things fell apart in a hurry. They got embarrassed at home on MLK Day on national tv against the Dallas Mavericks and have lost four straight games and eight out of their last ten. In fact, the Nets and Knicks have the same record over the last 11: 2-9. The sky isn’t falling, but things aren’t pretty on 33rd and 7th right now.
Where to follow the game
Ah we’ve got a full house tonight. YES Network and MSG on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. ESPN Radio and WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:30 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Day’ron Sharpe is questionable. Ben Saraf remains with Long Island.
Nothing doing for the Knicks.
The game
New York won the first two meetings in November. The season series wraps up in March.
There will be tons of scoring in this one. In January, the Knicks’ team defensive rating is 118.4, 27th in the league. After a great December, the Nets’ defense has fallen off a cliff as they’re allowing 121.3 points per 100 possessions, 29th in the league. Considering how talented this Knicks team is on both sides of the ball, that’s unacceptable and as Josh Hart said in postgame, he and his teammates have to “be professional.” Eek.
Speaking of players that need to be better, Mikal Bridges, welcome to the big time! When he got his wish to get out of Brooklyn a few summers ago, he wanted to go to a team that could compete and be on a team that’s one of the centers of attention in the NBA. He’s gotten his wish and when you struggle on the Knicks, that attention becomes a pain to deal with. We mentioned the defense falling off a cliff earlier, and he + OG Anunoby were supposed to be the top dogs on that side of the ball that would lock up elite perimeter players. If Bridges doesn’t turn things around on that side, things are going to get really rough for him.
Can Noah Clowney do it again? The last time he played the Knicks, he set career highs in points (31) and 3- pointers made (seven). Clowney’s had a good season for the most part, but there have been some rough patches every so often. He only grabbed one rebound against the Suns on Monday, and the Nets will need all the help they can get on the glass when Hart and Mitchell Robinson are on the court. A game like this will be a great test of his progress this season.
If Brooklyn wants to end their record 12-game losing streak against the Knicks, they’re going to need a big outing from Michael Porter Jr. MPJ returned to action after a day off on Sunday and led the team in scoring with 23 points. With the Knicks defense being a wreck right now and Porter Jr having the ability to heat up at a moment’s notice, tonight could be the right mix for an All-Star showing.
The Nets will also need to slow down Jalen Brunson. JB was named an All-Star starter on Monday, and it’s a well deserved honor for the franchise guard. He’s got bigger things to worry about these days, such as ensuring his team is on the same page and playing basketball that meets the expectations of a title contender. For the Nets, having Drake Powell chase Brunson around will be a great test for the rookie and one they’re excited to see. Powell has played well in his minutes and is carving out a solid role for himself on this team. A big time outing tonight will give him a boost as we enter the dog days of the season.
And there’s another rivalry we should mention: that between the two head coaches, Jordi Fernandez and Mike Brown. Fernandez started off his career in the U.S. as youth coach who worked with Brown’s son. Brown gave Fernandez his first NBA job as an assistant with the Cavaliers’ G League club and the rest as they say is history written by Brian Windhorst.
For more on the Knick situation, listen to our Lucas Kaplan talk with Erik Slater on Erik’s Locked on Nets podcast.
Player to watch: Karl-Anthony Towns
So I’m not on Twitter, the Everything app, much these days. The only time I hop on there is to share my Women’s Basketball Roundup newsletter (you should subscribe and tell a friend!) and then get the hell out of there. When I do get on there, the algorithm feeds me SO MUCH negativity on Karl-Anthony Towns. Between the despair from Knick fans (more than usual) and Mike Brown being brutally honest about Towns’ miscues
Mike Brown to @JLEdwardsIII on KAT play: "When you fall down you gotta get up…That wasn't the only play, there were a handful we did that, but there was no sense of urgency…it was a 5-point swing…we watched at halftime & he didn't even cross halfcourt. That sums up our night" pic.twitter.com/eEs1N5vae4
I’m starting to get the impression a turn is occurring against Towns.
Determined to not have Twitter cook my brain or steer me down the wrong path, I went searching for analysis from experts who follow the game and not reactions designed to gin up outrage, so I went looking for some real analysis from folks who know what they’re talking about. So I turned to Michael Zeno and our friends over at Posting and Toasting, and buddy lemme tell you what I found was concerning:
“KAT doesn’t seem comfortable in Mike Brown’s system, for whatever reason, but that doesn’t explain the lapses in effort. The team themselves are not putting him in the best positions to succeed on that end, but there’s been an alarming amount of stupid plays, drives, and offensive fouls.
When the Knicks are at their best this season on offense, they’re driving and spraying to open shooters. Defenses naturally collapse when someone is going hard to the basket, which allows for a kick to the corner. They just aren’t doing that lately. Looking at KAT specifically, when he gets the ball at the three-point line and drives, it’s rare that it actually results in a basket.
Whether it’s not going up strong, phishing for fouls that don’t get called, committing dumb offensive fouls, or just getting the ball stripped, it’s just not working. It’s getting to a point where it feels mental with him, where the struggles and the team’s horrifically bad whistle of late is getting to him and bleeding out to the team.“
Yeesh.
In looking at the numbers, Towns’ field goal percentage is at career lows, thanks in part to a career worst shooting percentage on shots inside of three feet and a lack of success (compared to his standards) from 3-point range. And although he had a good game by the numbers on Monday, he got booed as he exited the court for the final time. After the game, he was asked about it and gave a fair, thoughtful answer
Karl-Anthony Towns on the boos at MSG directed at him and the team
"You spend $140 to represent your favorite player with a jersey. You come to MLK Day here at The Garden and tickets are 3x the price. I'd be disappointed too" pic.twitter.com/vrTAznt1mV
I see no lies here. Luckily for KAT, he works at The Garden so the boss won’t spy on him… I think.
Nic Claxton will look to continue Towns’ struggles. Rim protection will be essential to any chances of a Nets victory, and Clax will be tasked with forcing Towns into tough shots at the rim when he’s in the post and silly fouls on the other end. The frustration levels are off the charts for the Knicks, and Claxton being able to put another bad outing on KAT’s ledger can turn the temperature up even more at MSG. These two teams are at vastly different stages of their basketball journeys, but all the pieces are there for the Nets to finally get a win against their cross-town rivals.
From the Vault
Monday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day. It’s always good to hear Dr. King speak, so let’s take you back to 1967 and listen to Dr. King talk about militarism and the Vietnam War
The Vancouver Canucks will look to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, January 21.
Washington has also dropped three straight, so my top Capitals vs. Canucks predictions and NHL picks expect both teams to pay extra attention to keeping the puck out of their net to send this total Under the number tonight.
Capitals vs Canucks prediction
Capitals vs Canucks best bet: Under 6.5 (-135)
The Vancouver Canucks have the lowest team shooting percentage and scored just 1.41 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 and 1.82 per game during their 11-game skid.
Injuries to Filip Chytil (upper body) and Marco Rossi (lower body) have left Vancouver thin up the middle and easy to defend, with the supporting cast jumping the boards lacking a true scoring punch.
As a result, Vancouver needs to simplify its game and shift more attention to defensive detail, and I’m anticipating the heightened focus on battening down the defensive hatches to help keep this total Under the number tonight.
The Washington Capitals have allowed 13 goals across three consecutive losses, too, so look for the Caps to take a similar defensive approach tonight.
Capitals vs Canucks same-game parlay
The Canucks can hang around in a low-scoring game, and the Caps are reeling along a 6-11-3 stretch with just four wins by two goals or more. Additionally, Vancouver has positive regression ahead of its unsustainably low 5.4 team SH% at 5-on-5 during its own 11-game skid.
Vancouver also loaded up its No. 1 line with Elias Pettersson centering Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser, and Pettersson has hit the scoresheet six times during the losing skid. With Washington allowing a healthy 3.55 goals per game and fifth-most expected goals per 60 at 5-on-5 during its 20-game slide, Pettersson is positioned to pick up a point tonight.
The Washington Capitals have only won six of their last 20 games (-12.55 Units / -47% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Canucks.
How to watch Capitals vs Canucks
Location
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
MNMT, Sportsnet Pacific
Capitals vs Canucks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Compression ratios will be at the top of the FIA’s agenda in a meeting with F1 teams to head off growing fears before the 2026 season gets underway
Unveiling their new engine in Tokyo should have been a significant moment for Honda to celebrate but behind the scenes, the storied grand prix team – as well as plenty of their Formula One rivals – are worried that a looming row over new engine regulations is threatening to overshadow the opening of the 2026 season.
So significant is the concern that it will be the key topic of discussion at a meeting between the FIA and the engine manufacturers set for Thursday before the first day of pre-season testing at Barcelona.
It was a tale of two halves yet again for the San Antonio Spurs in their 111-106 loss to the Houston Rockets. The Spurs were red hot in the first half, scoring 70 points, but lost steam quickly in the second half as they finished the game shooting 39% from the field and 28% from three. Their first-half offense was among the best stretches they’ve played this season.
It started with Julian Champagnie going nuclear from three. He finished the game with 27 points on 8-16 shooting from deep. He was hitting everything in the first half, whether he shot the ball off movement or with a tight closeout. Champagnie’s heaters are thrilling and make the Spurs’ offense nearly impossible to stop.
Unfortunately, he slowed down in the second half. He only hit two of his 8 three pointers in the second half. The Rockets started to smother him on the perimeter, making it difficult for Champagnie to get a three-pointer off. It was one of the main reasons Houston was able to make their comeback late in the third and into the fourth quarters.
One of those players who hit multiple threes was Stephon Castle, who had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in the loss. It wasn’t a very efficient night, as Castle shot 5-19 from the field and 2-8 from deep, but he hit some important shots to take the top off of Houston’s defense early.
Castle’s best play came in the third quarter when he did what he does best: get out in transition and finish with authority. This windmill is something you’d usually see in the dunk contest, not with a defender coming to contest the finish. And-1 windmill finishes are rare. If anyone has the strength and athleticism to pull it off, it’s Castle.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t get a lot of shots around the basket on Tuesday, but this one was great. He just goes right through Clint Capela and uses his length to dunk over the top of him. The Spurs could have used a lot more of this on Tuesday. Wemby had 14 points and 10 rebounds on 5-21 shooting from the field in the loss.
With Wemby struggling, Luke Kornet stepped up. He was awesome on defense, picking up 2 blocks, and finished around the rim in the pick-and-roll on his way to 8 points on an efficient 4-5 shooting.
He and Dylan Harper have established solid chemistry off the bench for the Spurs. Here Harper finds him wide-open off the jump ball for an easy reverse slam.
When the Spurs were struggling in the fourth quarter, it was Harper who got them back on track a bit. When the whole team was settling for threes, Harper took initiative and got shots in the paint. Harper had 8 points and 5 assists off the bench in the loss.
The Spurs will have a chance to get back on track on Thursday night as they travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Jazz. Watch the video below for full-game highlights from their loss to the Rockets.
On Jalen Brunson’s All-Star recognition: “It’s great. He’s having a great season. It’s definitely an honor that’s well deserved.”
On halftime message after defensive collapse: “They scored 75 points in the first half. At halftime, we usually do the clips and talk about technical X’s and O’s and all that crap that coaches do, teams do. There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your f–king — excuse me on that — do your job.”
On frustration and doing the little things: “It’s frustrating; it’s frustrating to me, it’s frustrating to every person in that locker room. And we all can’t get it back by thinking we’re going to go score and get this many shots. We have to embrace doing the little things and right now we’re not.”
On belief in the locker room despite struggles: “There’s no doubt in my mind. I believe in everybody in that locker room. You can ask them — I feel they believe in each other, too. We’re going through it. We’ve got to figure out how to get out of it.”
On team communication and collaboration: “I talk to management all the time, Leon and I talk all the time. Even when we were playing well, we were talking. So that hasn’t changed and that’s not going to change. I’m big on collaboration, not just with the players, but with the coaches, too. I will take input. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to make the decision.”
On effort-driven improvement in second half: “We didn’t change anything schematically in the second half. There were more clips from the second half that showed us doing our job the right way. We have to try to do it for 48 minutes.”
On defensive execution against hot shooters: “The two guys that we labeled hot were 9-for-11 in the first half. Most of those shots were open or we left our feet. No changes to the X’s and O’s. Just do your job. Play with physicality and do your job early. We all have to do our job for 48 minutes, and it didn’t happen tonight.”
On being fine with boos at MSG: “I’m OK with the boos. If we’re playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I would boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the games and this is a form of entertainment for the fans. They know good basketball from bad basketball.”
On early-season rhythm and post-Cup decline: “We felt like we were in a pretty good spot through the Cup on both sides of the ball. For whatever reason, it’s changed. I’m not sure of the reason, but it changed after the Cup. We have to keep trying to find different ways to put them in the best possible position.”
On evaluating everything during downturn: “When you’re in the area that we’re in right now, you gotta look at everything. You gotta keep trying to find ways where you can help the group on both sides of the ball.”
ESPN reported Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting postgame & said they "need to find answers among themselves rather than the coaches"
On accountability within the team: “There’s been a lot of things to pinpoint. But as a team we know what we have to do. Either we do it — we care enough to do it — or we don’t.”
On accepting boos from fans: “I mean, I’d be booing us, too. Straight up.”
On failing to execute the game plan: “We just didn’t follow the game plan at all. As a team, we know what we have to do. It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it or we don’t.”
On urgency to fix issues quickly: “We gotta figure this out fast.”
On belief in the locker room: “I have the utmost confidence in every person in this room, in this locker room. Just things haven’t gone our way. But we have the ability to do it.”
On effort and care level: “We just have to care a little more about what we’re doing. It has to mean a little more to us.”
On his ankle injury embarrassment: “It’s as embarrassing to say versus watching. Just tripping over my own two damn feet. It’s that simple.”
On managing recurring ankle issues: “Obviously I’ve had things with my ankle the past couple of years. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be in the gym and doing all my treatment to get back to full strength.”
On team accountability amid struggles: “It doesn’t matter when. It matters that it did happen. So we’ve gotta figure it out. We have a special team and we’ve got a special opportunity and we can’t just let it go to waste.”
On responding to boos from fans: “You spend your hard-earned money to come here and for us to not only not win, but to not really have a chance? I’d be disappointed too. Fans are doing their part and we’ve gotta do our part.”
On cutting through excuses: “You just gotta win at the end of the day. Fans nor us want to hear any excuses. We’ve just gotta wanna get the job done.”
On lack of resistance in a loss: “We was gettin’ beat, beat to the punch, beat to the basket. We didn’t do the job we needed to do today to come out with a win.”
"We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can't go into practice & have things said several times; we can't come out & not execute an ATO…At the end of the day that's the guys that have this jersey on"
On urgency as losses mount: “We have to go out there with a sense of urgency. At this point, 40 games in, we have to play desperate, because that’s what we are right now.”
On embarrassing level of play: “We all need to do some soul searching. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal.”
On effort compared to last season: “Last year, no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today. It was embarrassing.”
On diagnosing ongoing issues: “If I could answer that question, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation right now.”
On dog days and physicality: “We just have to play with more energy, more physicality. We have to figure out how to do that for the whole game.”
On professionalism and execution: “We have to make sure we have a professional mindset. We can’t come out and not execute. At this point, we have to play desperate.”
On building identity through adversity: “It’s a new philosophy, a new coach, a new system. It’s gonna take time to really build that, and you really only build that through adversity.”
"That's been the main thing over the last 11, teams are coming out more hungrier than us. When you get comfortable, when you've won, I think that's human nature and we have to fight against it"
According to Nick Kelly of AL.com, former Alabama center Charles Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order after suing the NCAA. This means he is immediately eligible to participate in basketball-related activities with the Crimson Tide, including games.
“News: Charles Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order and is immediately eligible to participate in all Alabama basketball activities and games, per court documents obtained by @aldotcom,” Kelly said via X. “This will remain in effect for 10 days or until a hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction is conducted. A hearing is set for Jan. 27.”
There is only one game on the schedule for Alabama before Jan. 27. Tennessee will come to Tuscaloosa for an important SEC showdown on Saturday. Alabama actually has a game on Jan. 27, scheduled to face the Missouri Tigers at 8 p.m. CT. But for now, Bediako appears only guaranteed to face the Vols.
Bediako is a few years removed from college basketball, last suiting up in 2023. He left in favor of the NBA Draft, not getting picked during the process. The San Antonio Spurs quickly picked Bediako up for the NBA Summer League, eventually signing him to a G-League contract.
At one point, Bediako got a two-way contract from the Spurs. However, he never saw playing time with the NBA team. Bediako has also suited up for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver Nuggets) and Motor City Cruise (Detroit Pistons).
Shortly after news broke of Bediako suing the NCAA, a statement was released on the matter. The NCAA maintains they will not grant eligibility to players who have signed contracts with NBA organizations.
“The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako,” the statement said. “Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules.”
Bediako was a key figure on a nice run that head coach Nate Oats led the program on, making two NCAA Tournaments and even earning the No. 1 overall seed in 2023. Bediako averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 70 games played. Now, Alabama is hoping similar numbers can be put up moving forward, at least against Tennessee.
The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors and Professional Hockey Players’ Association's full membership have ratified a collective bargaining agreement that ensures labor peace in the top layers of the sport in North America for the foreseeable future.
The AHL and PHPA announced the final step in the process Wednesday. The CBA, like that of the NHL and ECHL, is good through the summer of 2030.
“We have long had a positive relationship with our players and we look forward to continuing to work with the PHPA so that the league and our players can grow and prosper for years to come,” AHL president and CEO Scott Howson said.
The AHL agreement came together with little consternation, unlike the ECHL negotiations that led to a two-day strike out of the league’s holiday break in December. The ECHL and PHPA then worked out a CBA of their own, after 28 games had been postponed.
The AHL, the top developmental league that feeds into the NHL, is in the middle of its 90th season.
“This agreement delivers important gains for our members while providing long-term certainty across the league,” PHPA executive director Brian Ramsay said. “This was a collaborative and disciplined bargaining process that resulted in a strong agreement for our membership.”
While some level of frustration about 2025 remains, the Kansas City Royals are poised to secure back-to-back-to-back winning seasons immediately after tying the franchise record for most losses in a year. That comeback is impressive, especially considering how the Royals accomplished it.
Yes, the Royals signed some free agents to do so, but they’ve largely limited their spending and their long-term financial outlook is very good. Yes, they’ve made some efficient trades, improving at the margins and making use of some team depth to attempt to shore up areas of weaknesses. And yes, they’ve watched a couple young players blossom–chief among them the wunderkind Bobby Witt Jr.
The Royals are still searching for a difference maker or two, though. Unfortunately, their payroll (which has increased by a respectable $14 million per Cot’s Baseball Contracts) is probably maxed out. And more unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that the Royals are going to swing the big trade that they’re looking for, at least per Ken Rosenthal:
The Kansas City Royals are increasingly unlikely to land either of the two hitters they pursued in trades: the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and Boston Red Sox’s Jarren Duran.Barring further moves, the Royals expect to rely heavily on offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas in their outfield, as well as rookie Jac Caglianone and holdover Kyle Isbel.
You can quibble on whether Donovan or Durran are worth the assets that would have taken to acquire them. But both are only 29, under control for multiple seasons, and would be huge improvements over what the Royals have right now. They would make the team better right now and in the future.
Even so, there were other deals that could have been out there that the Royals should have been able to work out. There has been just one problem: the Royals don’t have a good enough farm system to leverage.
The last time the Royals wanted to take the next step, they had that farm system. That was in 2012, after a frustrating season that ended in a 72-90 record. Nevertheless, the Royals moved aggressively to better the club, leveraging top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi in a trade to acquire pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. They improved by 14 games in 2013, narrowly missing the playoffs starting a three-year run as the best team in the American League.
This time around, they just don’t have anybody who can anchor a trade. Since 2020, Royals first round draft picks have lost huge portions of their trade value (Asa Lacy, Frank Mozzicato, Gavin Cross, Blake Mitchell), haven’t played an inning yet of pro ball (Sean Gamble, Josh Hammond), or made it to to the big leagues and have flopped hard (Jac Caglianone). Meanwhile, key high-upside draft picks in the second or third round have also lost significant value after their draft (Blake Wolters, Ben Kudrna, Hiro Wyatt).
Before anybody claims that I’m being unfair here, I don’t at all blame Gamble or Hammond–a pair of high schoolers drafted seven months ago–for anything. Caglianone, as we all know, could be a monster as soon as this season. And the Royals should receive plenty of credit for selecting Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron in the 2021 MLB draft and developing them into players who had excellent debut seasons this year.
Caveats and successes aside, the reason why the Royals couldn’t make an impact trade this year is that they simply couldn’t without trading established big league talent. If the Royals had a better farm system, I think we would have seen a big trade. They don’t, and we didn’t. Farm system rankings are somewhat overrated in and of themselves—the point is to win MLB games, not win MiLB talent arguments—but when push comes to shove, having talent to trade is how teams can take leaps forward.
The people have spoken and the first pitcher is off the board as Braylon Doughty is our No. 6 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Doughty won by just three votes with 35.5% of the vote, beating out Cooper Ingle (33.1%) and Khal Stephen (13.8%). He is making his CTC prospect rankings debut.
Doughty was Cleveland’s first round competitive balance pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Chaparral High School in Temecula, California, signing with Cleveland for a $2,569,200 bonus.
He made his pro debut skipping straight to full-season Single-A Lynchburg to begin 2025 and it was an impressive showing. Doughty made 22 starts, topping out with a season-long 5.2 innings pitched Aug. 1 when he struck out seven and allowed one run without a walk.
Limiting walks was Doughty’s specialty in 2025. He had two walks or fewer in all but one of his starts. Overall on the season, he struck out 99 batters while walking just 23 in 85.1 innings pitched. On the season, he had a 3.48 ERA and an even better 2.84 FIP.
Unfortunately, Doughty didn’t get an opportunity to participate in Lynchburg’s run to a Single-A championship in the Carolina League because he was tabled with right shoulder inflammation on Aug. 23 right before the end of the season. From everything I’ve read, the move was precautionary and he didn’t need any additional surgery or anything.
Doughty has high spin on his breaking pitches, with a slider and curveball that both grade as plus and the potential to have a great changeup as well. Despite just turning 20 years old, he’s already drawing comparisons to another spectacular Cleveland pitcher — Shane Bieber. That’s some high praise. Let’s hope he can prove scouts right as he continues to develop in 2026 where he’ll almost certainly begin the season at High-A Lake County.
Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:
Was lined up to make his MLB debut in 2025, but multiple injuries prevented the switch-hitter from getting his opportunity and it’s possible he could be passed up completely.
Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.
Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.
Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.
One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.
Morning everyone and welcome to Wednesday! Don’t you love a short week?
Yesterday morning we got a report indicating that future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado rejected a trade to the Athletics just prior to getting flipped to Arizona instead. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the A’s and Cardinals had come to terms on a trade involving him coming to Sacramento, but the 34-year-old decided to reject that in favor of returning to the NL West, where he spent the first eight years of his career with the Rockies.
That’s a bit of a slap in the face to the A’s, even if they are currently playing in a minor league stadium. Arenado has two years left on his deal though, and with no guarantee he would be there at third base when the A’s open in Las Vegas there was a strong chance he would only be playing in Sacramento had he accepted a deal to the Athletics. In that sense it’s his loss because the team is on the rise with young cornerstones Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, both of whom would likely have benefitted from having him in the dugout with them.
On the other hand, it shouldn’t be a surprise anymore that players really don’t want to play in a minor league ballpark, even if it’s good for batters on an up-and-coming squad. The report by Rosenthal says that along with Arizona he would have approved a trade to San Diego, which has a better roster, stadium, and ownership unafraid to spend. The fact that he ended up choosing Arizona is a bit puzzling in a baseball sense because the D-Backs were a fourth-place team in a loaded NL West, and there’s not much to indicate a sudden turnaround is in order.
The Rosenthal report also says that the A’s would have actually taken on more salary in the trade than the Diamondbacks ultimately did. Arizona reportedly took on $11 million of the remaining $42 that Arenado is owed, which is a sizeable chunk for the Cardinals to eat. If the reporting is correct they had a deal with the A’s lined up where they would have gotten greater salary relief but a lesser prospect return. While both the Cardinals and A’s were ready for this to happen, Arenado just wasn’t ready to don the Green & Gold.
That wasn’t all that we learned from the report. We got word yesterday that the A’s are interested in a reunion with former Athletic Miguel Andujar, but it seems the Athletics may make a move one way or another whether it’s a reunion with Andujar or a different outside addition. Third base remains the clear and obvious spot for an upgrade on the position player side of things. The front office supposedly is happy to go with the in-house options Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris, but these reports on back-to-back days indicate that could just be a negotiating tactic.
Rosenthal says A's had a deal in place for Arenado but he didn't approve. He also says, "The A’s currently intend to use Max Muncy at 3B, with Brett Harris & Darell Hernaiz also in the mix. They possibly could pursue a free agent such as Eugenio Suárez or Yoan Moncada as well." https://t.co/Mqb7mtAKF7
Two other names mentioned in the report that could be of interest to the Athletics is Eugenio Suarez and Yoan Moncada. Either would be an upgrade over the in-house options at the hot corner for the A’s, but the question is by how much depending on their contract.
Suarez is the more established of the two third basemen as the 34-year-old has 325 career home runs to his name. The power is there, but his on-base percentage and defense leave a lot to be desired. The A’s could double down on their power with him as he’s sure to hit a long of homers this year, but that might not fit with what the A’s want out of that spot. He’s not short of suitors, with his most recent team the Seattle Mariners still reportedly monitoring his market.
Moncada is another name that’s been bandied about as a potential fit for the A’s. The longtime White Sock spent last season with the division-rival Angels, his first outside of Chicago in eight years. Injuries yet again ate into Moncada’s campaign as he made it into just 84 games for the Halo’s. Granted, that’s significantly more than his final season in Chicago but any team signing the switch-hitter has to know he can’t be counted on for a full season. Maybe that’s actually attractive to the A’s, who may want to legitimately give Muncy and/or Hernaiz a chance at some point this coming season. It doesn’t hurt that Moncada was actually an above-average hitter in terms of OPS+ during his Angels stint.
Well there you have it. The A’s got left high and dry by Nolan Arenado, who instead heads to the desert to join the D-Backs. Options are dwindling for an upgrade over Muncy and Hernaiz, but we know the front office is at least trying for an upgrade, and even coming close to one. To those that thought the A’s were done adding this offseason, it’s time to recheck your calculus.
While Cal Raleigh was getting all the attention, Shea was actually better in the second half:
Just how good was Shea Langeliers in the 2nd Half of 2025? Well in Cal Raleigh’s “once in a lifetime” type of season, Langeliers outperformed him in wRC+, HRs & RBI in the 2nd Half.
In 57 games, Langeliers went .328/.367/.651 😳 He led all Catchers in fWAR at 3.3.
— Tablesetters: A Baseball Podcast (@tablesetterspod) January 20, 2026
Would probably be a big upgrade over Muncy. Would he want to come here though?
If the A’s were in on Arenado, and were willing to take on a lot of salary, is there a chance they are in on Eugenio Suarez? Seems like that wouldn’t be crazy. Maybe getting pitching is too difficult and they’re just going to try to out-slug everyone.
Tough couple months for Bido. Can’t be easy bouncing around that much:
Former A's RHP Osvaldo Bido has been designated for assignment for the 4th time in the last month and a half. First by the A's, then by the Braves, then by the Rays, and now by the Marlins. He seems perpetually destined to be the 41st man on the roster.
How much would a Colby Thomas trade really bring back though?
The more I think about it, I think the A’s are floating Thomas in trade talks to get an SP, and they would sign Andujar to fill Thomas’ role if they are able to work something out. https://t.co/EbyYPgF3yE
Kelly was Colorado’s fourth round pick, 107th overall, in the 2025 draft out of UC-Irvine. The 6’5” 21-year-old righty starter signed for a $700k bonus, just about $15k under the slot value. Like many other high Rockies draftees, Kelly was a high school quarterback with some good athleticism. He was thought of highly enough in high school to be in the top 250 of MLB Pipeline and get drafted in the 20th round in 2022 by Arizona (though he didn’t sign). His standout trait is a high-RPM (3,000+) curveball, combined with low to mid-90s velocity and a decent changeup.
Mid-season 2025 Rank: HM
High Ballot: 17
Mode Ballot: 17, 21, 22, 28
Future Value: 35+, starting pitcher depth
Contract Status: 2025 Fourth Round, UC-Irvine, Rule 5 Eligible After 2028, three options remaining
MLB ETA: 2029
The first couple years of college didn’t go well for Kelly, who threw only 20 1/3 innings with poor results while battling a back injury. In his draft year, Kelly started the season in the bullpen for UC-Irvine before moving back to the rotation in mid-March. In his second start, he outdueled eventual 2025 #2 overall pick Tyler Bremner en route to a season total of 66 2/3 innings with a 3.78 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 9.5 K/9 rate, and 4.3 BB/9 rate. Kelly didn’t pitch in an official game in the Rockies’ system after signing.
Here’s a look at Kelly after his sophomore campaign in 2024:
Kelly’s fastball sits around 92-93 mph and he can crank it up to 96 at times. But his best pitch has always been his curve, especially when he can land it for strikes. It’s a nasty 11-to-5 breaker thrown in the upper 70s that routinely registers over 3,000 rpm and flashes plus. He has a low-80s changeup that can be effective as well.
While Kelly’s strike-throwing has been inconsistent, scouts saw better quality strikes with the move to the rotation. He should get every opportunity to start, with the knowledge that the fastball-curve combination could tick up if he had to move back to the ‘pen.
UC Irvine right-hander Riley Kelly (4) moved from the Anteaters’ bullpen to the rotation this year and blossomed, making 12 starts along with five relief appearances and lowering his ERA by a run and a half. He’s up to 96 but he sits more 91-93, generating a ton of whiffs on his 82-85-mph straight change, although his 11/5 curveball looks like it should be his best pitch. He has 45 control right now, but if that gets to 50, he’s a starter.
If Kelly can command that hammer, generate a bit more velocity on the fastball, and stick in the rotation, he becomes an interesting starter prospect. Pending that evidence, I ranked Kelly as a 35+ FV player with some upside and put him 26th on my list. Kelly will start 2026 at High-A Spokane or Low-A Fresno, probably the latter.
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the outfield position.
BEST OF THE BUNCH
Alonzo Tredwell
Tredwell was the Astros 2nd round pick back in the 2023 draft and he had a breakout season this year. The right-hander pitched across three different levels and posted a 3.69 ERA with 122 strikeouts over 100 innings. This included a dominant 40 strikeouts over 22.2 innings in Double-A to end the season.
Mayer, a 16th round pick in last year’s draft and looks to be another diamond for the Astros. The right-hander started in Single-A and struck out 30 over 17.2 innings earning a promotion to High-A. In Asheville he posted a 2.85 ERA with 45 K in 41 innings. He finished the season in Double-A striking out 37 over 29 innings. He was the Astros minor league pitcher of the year.
Ullola started the season well and then hit a rough patch but turned it around late. In his first full season in Triple-A, Ullola posted a 3.88 ERA with 131 strikeouts over 113.2 innings. He also allowed just 75 hits, good for a .186 batting average against. When he cuts down on the walks, he is dominant.
Pecko had some injuries early in the year but after getting healthy, the 2024 minor league pitcher of the year got back to his normal self. He had a 4.40 ERA in Double-A but that included a 1.75 ERA over his final six outings in Double-A. He got a promotion to Triple-A where he finished with a 3.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 35 innings. He should be in Houston in 2026.
After a tough season in 2024 for Dombroski, he turned things around this year. The left-hander posted a 3.61 ERA with 116 strikeouts over 112.1 innings. He allowed just 91 hits in Double-A good for a 7.3 H/9, down from 11.1 H/9 last year. He made two starts in Triple-A too and should start there next season.
Ogando pitched the full season for the Woodpeckers and had some ups and downs. The 21-year-old had a 4.07 ERA overall, but had some really good months posting a 3.24 ERA in April and a 3.18 ERA in June. Overall he finished with 113 strikeouts in 94.2 innings, though he did walk 69.
Cruz is an undersized right-hander who put together a solid season in 2025. He started the year in Fayetteville and had a 3.75 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 84 innings. He earned a promotion to High-A where he had a 5.12 ERA, though he also had 20 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Overall he had a 4.01 ERA.
Fleury has been on the radar as a possible top prospect for a couple of seasons now. He started out the season on fire posting a 0.82 ERA with 25 K in 22 innings in April. He missed some time in May but came back in June and was eventually promoted to Triple-A where he had a 6.95 ERA over 45.1 innings.
Nezuh had a monster first year in the system in 2024 but struggled some in Double-A in 2025. He finished the season strong though posting a 1.67 ERA over his final six games. He would end up finishing the season with a 4.34 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 76.2 innings between Double-A and a couple outings in the FCL.
Pitching is always tricky. As it stands, the Astros will be leaning on Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, Mike Burrows, Cristian Javier and newly acquired Tatsuya Imai. The Astros have some strong arms in Ullola, Pecko and Mayer. Then some other strong options like Tredwell, Forcucci (hasn’t pitched yet) and Dombroski. As we have seen in previous years, we know the Astros will need well more than five starters so plenty of chances for these prospects to shine in 2026.
The San Diego Padres have won precisely one World Series game in the history of their franchise. On October 10, 1984, they defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-3 in Game 2 of that season’s Fall Classic. Their starter, Ed Whitson, gave up more runs (three) than he recorded outs (two). So out of the bullpen came 24-year-old Andy Hawkins, who’d been abysmal for the Padres in ’84 (-1.6 bWAR). All he did was hurl 5.1 frames of shutout ball, earning himself the win.
Several years later, Hawkins found himself on the free agent market and identified the Yankees as a team he thought would be competitive during his tenure. Ultimately, he signed on the dotted line to come to the Bronx. He was, sadly, completely wrong on the Yankees’ timeline to be competitive, so he never came close to the AL pennants he hoped for. Nonetheless, he holds a place in Yankee lore, tossing one of the more infamous no-hitters in baseball history.
Name: Melton Andrew Hawkins Born: January 21, 1960 (Waco, TX) Yankees Tenure: 1989-91
Hawkins grew up in Texas, playing baseball. Larger than many of his peers, his father (and eventually his coach) realized he needed to be pushed. The talent was never in question, though. When the 1978 MLB Amateur Draft rolled around, Hawkins did not have to wait long for his name to get called. Picking fifth overall, the San Diego Padres nabbed the 18-year-old.
By 1982, Hawkins found himself in the majors, where he embarked on an inconsistent trajectory. In limited action his rookie season, he struggled. But the next season, far from a sophomore slump, Hawkins put together one of his finest seasons, pitching to a 2.93 ERA (121 ERA+) in 119.2 innings. 1984, however, was the exact opposite as he pitched poorly enough to get demoted to the bullpen before earning his World Series redemption (he ended up pitching in three games that October, allowing one run in 12 innings).
After an excellent 1985, he struggled again the next two seasons. But with his free agency approaching, Hawkins picked an excellent time to have a bounce-back season in 1988. That December, the Yankees showed up to the Winter Meetings, looking to perhaps offload Dave Winfield. When that looked like a losing proposition, General Manager Bob Quinn quickly pivoted.
At the top of their list? The 28-year-old Hawkins, fresh off a 14-win season in San Diego. It did not take long for a deal to come together. A day after the initial reporting on Hawkins emerged in the New York Times, he and the Yanks came to an agreement. Hawkins signed a 3-year, $3.6 million deal, the largest and longest deal he was offered in free agency.
Manager Dallas Green immediately designated Hawkins the “anchor” of the Yanks’ rotation. That raised some eyebrows. Murray Chass, in the Times, remarked that the label “raised instant questions about the talent that will make up the rotation.”
Hawkins was up-and-down in his first half-season as a Yankee. He won 11 of his first 19 starts, going at least seven innings in 10 of them… but… his ERA spent all of May and June bouncing between 5.00+ and 6.00+. It looked like he’d steadied the ship with back-to-back shutouts to move him to 11-8. Then the wheels fell off. He went 4-7 the remainder of the season as the Yanks sunk to a fifth-place finish in the AL East.
1990 was no better. By mid-May, Hawkins was 1-3 with an ERA north of 7.00. Then he took the mound on May 16th. And he was perfect. Except… the weather did not cooperate. Hawkins faced 13 hitters. He retired 13 hitters. Eventually though, the game was called and later made up as part of a double-header. It’s easy to find in his game logs. Just look for the game where Hawkins is credited for pitching 11.2 innings versus Minnesota. It was not the last time in 1990 that Hawkins crossed paths with baseball immortality.
The game he’s most known for happened that season on July 1st. Facing the Chicago White Sox, Hawkins opened with 4.2 perfect frames before walking a pair, ensuring there would be no perfect game. He still allowed nary a hit though. Fast forward to the eighth inning. An error put a man on for Chicago then Hawkins again walked a pair of Pale Hose batters to load the bases.
Robin Ventura then lofted a fly ball to left that, in the swirling winds, clanked off Jim Leyritz’s glove. Three runs scored on the error, the second of the inning. A fourth run followed on yet another error, before Hawkins could escape. Still with the no-hitter intact, he and the Yanks now trailed 4-0 and ultimately lost by that margin.
That was the high point as a Yankee for Hawkins, which is strangely fitting in a way. Neither he nor the club found the success each hoped for when he signed his deal. He struggled for the rest of the 1990 season and he was so bad in ’91 that the Yankees released him in early May. He signed with the Athletics nine days later and spent the next four months pitching for them before they released him, ending his major league career as a player.
Several years after his retirement, Hawkins got back into baseball, this time as a coach. He spent 2001-15 (except for one season in Kansas City) with the Rangers staff. After disappearing from baseball for a couple years, Hawkins now coaches with the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League. Happy birthday, Andy.
References
Andy Hawkins. Baseball-Reference.
Chass, Murray.“ Baseball; Yankees Woo Hawkins After Trade Talks Fail.” New York Times. December 8, 1988.
Chass, Murray. “Yanks Sign Hawkins To $3.6 Million Pact.” New York Times. December 9, 1988.
Curry, Jack. “Hawkins is Perfect; Weather is Not.” New York Times. May 17, 1990.
Thornley, Stew. “Andy Hawkins.” SABR.
Thornley, Stew. “July 1, 1990: Andy Hawkins no-hitter is ‘no winner’ for Yankees.” SABR.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
